Closure for paper containers



Nov. 2, 1937. A. K. SCOTT CLOSURE FOR PAPER CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 21, 1956 Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT IOFFICE 2,097,647 CLOSURE FOR PAPER commas Audrey K. Scott, Toledo, Ohio Application September 21, 1936, Serial No. 101,689

7 Claims.

This invention relates to paper 'containers for fluid substances and is more particularly directed to the top portion of such a container.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a simple and effective means to close the container and to cause a pouring opening to be formed in the top of the container under certain pressure conditions.

Another object of the invention is the provi- 0 sion of means to form a closure for a container of a material having a certain amount of inherent resiliency which is adapted to be opened by a predetermined pressure, and which, when the pressure is released, will tend to return to stand in its closed position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means to form the top and one adjacent side wall of a paper container into a pouring opening, without the use of any metallic ele- 0 merits, perforations or complicated foldings.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container wherein all parts of the container are secured together by a thermoplastic adhesive material by providing a blank adapted to be J shaped to and constitute the container body, said blank being coated in predetermined spots, strips and areas with a thermoplastic adhesive material; whereby a portion of the blank that is adapted to be lapped over another portion to 3 form the side seam of the bodyof the .con-

tainerythe portions of the blank that are adapted to be lapped over one another to form the bottom closure of the container; the portions of the blank that are adapted to be lapped over one another to form the top portion of the container; and the portions of the blank that are adapted to form the seal of the container are adapted to be adhesively bondedtogether by the application of heat and pressure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- T Figure 1 is a plan view of a blank used for making a container in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view, with a partbroken away, of a container constructed in accordance with the present invention and in .closedposition; Fig; 3 is a fragmentary section on jthe .,l,ine 33 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the container, with the parts forceuto'open, pouring position.

Referring to the drawing, the blank consists of four foldablyconnected rectangular sections designated l, 2, 3, and 4. The section 4 has a flap 5 at its free side edge which, when the blank is folded in set-up form, laps the free side edge of the section I at its inner side and is secured thereto by thermoplastic adhesive 5 on the section I. The side seam formed by engagement of the flap 5 with the section I is reinforced by a triangular extension 9 which engages the bottom closure, after the latter is formed, and serves to stiffen the side seam and seal the adjacent corner.

The bottom closure of the container may be made in any suitable manner, but it is preferred to form it in accordance with the disclosure of my co-pending application Serial No. 38,954 so that it includes a skeletonized structure formed of minor flaps 6, l, and 8 carried by the body portions l, 2, and 3, respectively, and a major flap 9 carried by the body portion 4 and adapted to cooperate with the minor flaps and close the opening left thereby. The lapping portions are suitably secured together and sealed by thermoplastic adhesive. In this manner, the bottom closure is formed of a single thickness of material throughout substantially its entire area so that a minimum of material is present to hold heat after a paraffining operation. In this way, the container may be rapidly cooled so that charging may take place promptly after the formation of the container without the usual long interval during which time the paraffin or other liquid-proofing substance or coating is allowed to set.

The upper closure is formed by folding the major flap l5 over the opening and then folding the minor flaps l2 and i4 inwardly over the major flap and securing them by means of thermoplastic adhesive material or other holding substance.

The final closure of the container is formed by a foldable extension I! of the major flap IS, the extension I! being scored along a line l8 so that its extreme outer portion l'l may be bent along the scored line. The lip flap l3 which is connected to the body section 2 cooperates with the foldable extension ll of the major flap in such a way to form an angularly disposed closure by being held between the under surfaces of the extensions l1 and I1. The outermost extension H has a very slight amount of thermoplastic adhesive material or other holding substance on its under surface so that when it laps the lip flap I3, it may be sealed thereto to keep the closure tight until it is ready to be opened. To open the closure, it is necessary only to lift the extension I! away from the lip flap I 3 which will sufliciently release the closure to permit of its being opened in the manner hereinafter described.

The body section 2 at its upper end is preferably scored along the dotted lines indicated, a vertical central score line 20 extending down from the extreme outer end of the minor flap E3 to a point substantially below the upper level of the finished container. From this point, the score lines diverge to the sides of the body section in lines 2! to form a lower triangular section 22, hingedly connected to the major part .of the body section 2 by a score line 23. The score line 23 extends horizontally across the body section 2 and is continued at the sides in upwardly slanting score lines24 and 25 formed in the body sections 1 and 3, respectively. The score lines Hand 25 define hingedly connected areas 21 and 28 which include not only the triangular portions in the body sections i and 3, but also the polygonal portions included between the score lines 20, 2i and the vertical fold lines between adjacent sections. The areas 21 and 28 may be termed pressure sections.

When the container is in closed position, as shown in Fig. 2, the score lines are made sufficiently rigid so that there is no tendency to weaken the walls of the container so far as its ability to withstand handling is concerned. When the extension i1 is lifted from engagement withthe outturned minor flap l3, the bracing effect which this closure afiords to the contrainer is removed. The pressure on the container in the direction of the arrows shown in ,Fig. 4 and on the sides of the pressure sections 27, 28 forces the container to bulge outward along the score lines 20 and 2i and the triangular section 22 to swing outwardly along the score line 23. This forms a throat or pouring spout for the container which, when pressure is released will snap back into closed position by reason of the inherent resiliency of the material from which the container is formed.

To permit an inward pressing of the sections 21 and 28 and at the same time to increase the extent of opening of the throat or pouring opening when an inward pressure is applied to said sections, the lip extensions ll, of the major flap are provided with a central rearwardly extending score line 30 to a point approximately coincidental with the score line connecting the hinged portion I! with the major flap l5. At this point two scored lines 3| diverge across the body of the major flap to reach the sides of the flap at its juncture with the body section 4. Thus a spout portion 32 is formed in the major flap I5 so that pressure on the side walls of the container will bulge such portion upwardly about its folded connection with the body portion 4. When the said pouring throat is open the extensions I3 and I1 form respectively lower and upper outwardly directed lips to facilitate pouring.

In operation, the container is formed so that the major flap i5 is bent down and sealed at its side edges to the minor flaps l2 and I4 of the body sections 1 and 3. The container is then charged through the quadrilateral opening shown in Fig. 4. The extended portion l1, I1 is then bent at its scored line l8 about the remaining upstanding and outwardly inclined lip flap l3 and sealed thereto to complete the closing of the upper end of the container. When it is desired to pour the contents of the container therefrom, it is necessary only to release the connection between the parts of the throat closure I1 I! and I3, The

user then presses in on the pressure areas 21 and 28 of the side walls of the container. The force exerted by this pressing action bulges the top and front spout portions of the container into the pouring position shown in Fig. 4. As mentioned above, a release of the bulging pressure will permit the parts to snap back into closed position so that the container is substantially sealed against any possible contaminating efiect of the atmosphere. It will be seen that by constructing and scoring the container in this manner, all of the advantages of a flat topped container are had before it is opened, but after opening, a pouring spout is formed which permits accurate pouring of the contents of the container by forming a sharply defined area through which the contents are discharged.

To facilitate reelasing the lip sections H, [l from the lip section l3, the outer side of the latter is, in some instances, only partially covered with thermoplastic adhesive so that an edge portion of the lip I1 is left free for grasping in pulling the portions li I? free from the portion l3.

While the invention has been disclosed in connection with the scored lines of a particular conformation, it should be readily appreciated that various changes may be made in the form and disposition of these lines without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A closed container for fluid substances having at its top portion opposed inwardly compressible side parts and also having intermediate top and side parts normally in container-closing position and outwardly movable by an inward compressing of said opposed parts to open the container and form a pouring spout.

2. A closed container for fluid substances having at its top portion opposed inwardly compressible side parts and also having intermediate top and side parts normally in container-closing position, said intermediate top and side parts being scored on predetermined lines so as to be movable by an inward compressing of said side parts to open the container and form a pouring spout.

3. A closed container for fluid substances having at its top portion opposed inwardly compressible side parts and also having intermediate top and side parts normally in container closing position, said intermediate top and side parts being scored on diverging lines so as to be mov-" able by an inward compressing of said side parts to open the container and form apouring spout.

4. A closed container for fluid substances having a top closure including a, top flap, compressible side parts formed in opposed side walls of said container, and an intermediate side part having an upwardly extending lip flap cooperating with said top fiap to form a closure, said intermediate side part and said top flap being scored along predetermined lines so that inward pressure on,

said compressible side parts 'will cause the parts to separate and form a pouring throat between said lip flap and top flap.

5. A closed container for fiuidsubstances having a top closure including a top flap, compressible side parts formed in opposed side walls of said container, and an. intermediate side part having an extension cooperating with said top flap to form a closure, said intermediate side part and said top fiap being scored along diverging lines so that inward pressure on said compressible side parts will cause the parts to bend on said diverging lines and separate to form a pouring throat between said top flap and said intermediate side part.

6. A container for fluid substances including a body portion having four foldable connected sections with the outermost edges of the outer sections sealed together, an end closure for said container including a top flap carried by one of said body sections and having an extension thereon, a minor flap carried by the body section opposite to the body section carrying said first flap, and cooperating with said first flap to form an openable seal for the container, said last body section and said top flap being scored on diverging lines merging toward the sealed area whereby pressure on certain of said body sections will cause the parts to bend along said scored lines and form a pouring throat between said top flap and said 7. A closed container for fluid substances having a top closure including a top flap, compressible side parts formed in opposed side walls of said container, and an intermediate side part, said intermediate side part and said top flap being scored along predetermined lines whereby inward pressure on said compressible side parts will cause the top flap and intermediate side part to bulge to form a pouring throat, said container being formed of material having an inherent resiliencywhereby when the pressure is released said top flap and said intermediate flaps will return to their normal closed position.

AUDREY K. SCO'IT. 

